Assessment of phenotypic variability in garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) using morphological traits across contrasting environments
摘要
This research aimed to study the variability and associations of agronomic traits among 64 garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) accessions were originated from the IPK, Germany, with four local Iranian cultivars, examined across two environmental conditions, Ardabil (cold climate) and Eyvanki (semi-warm climate). Results indicated that seed yield ranged from 31.9 to 126.2 g m−2 in Ardabil and 25.8 to 123.1 g m−2 in Eyvanki. Clustering of traits in both locations, grouped them into practical classifications, like yield components, vegetative growth, and phonologic characters. However, accessions 10, 43, 48, 52, and 53 indicated the most stable and desirable performance in two environmental conditions, introducing them as the best ones for future breeding programs. Clustering of accessions revealed five groups in each location, indicating high intra- and inter-group variation. Some traits, like leaf size and number of seeds per pod, had positive correlation with seed yield and biomass, while the other remained traits such as total pod number did not show ant association with target variable. Current findings suggest that yield of garden cress is affected by leaf size and pod size more than pod number. The Iranian local cultivars indicated various clustering behavior, showing remakable genetic admixture of germplasm. The genetic variability founded in this research provides a foundation to select promising genotypes for seed and leaf yield breeding. However, geographic origin did not idenrtified as a reliable indicator for assessing genetic diversity in garden cress.